Seasonal M&M’s

Once upon a time, when we were all wee little children, M&M’s came in two types, original and peanut. The world was a simpler place, before Y2K and iPhones. While the years that have passed have brought many complications into the world as we know it, we must all take a second to express our gratitude for the expansion of those delectable little chocolate candies.

Before we talk about all of the seasonal flavors, it is important to note that M&M’s has introduced numerous other varieties over the years. Original M&M’s were introduced in 1940 and around 15 years later the Peanut M&M’s followed. In 1990, though, M&M’s introduced my personal favorite flavor, the Peanut Butter M&M. Other varieties that have been introduced over the years include Almond, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, and Dark Mint. Another personal favorite is the Pretzel M&M which hit shelves in 2010.

I personally discovered the wonders of seasonal M&M’s just one year ago, and it all began with a bag of Candy Corn M&M’s. Candy Corn M&M’s first appeared on store shelves in the fall of 2011 and were sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores. These M&M’s contain a white chocolate inside, have a very sweet flavor, and are reminiscent of cotton candy. They are also larger than normal M&M’s and come in three colors: white, orange, and yellow. Currently, this flavor is available in stores everywhere, and is on shelves now through Halloween.

Needless to say, I ate more than my share of Candy Corn M&M’s, but I quickly returned to my normal M&M habits. Then came the marvel that was Carrot Cake M&M’s. Now hear me out on this one, I too was outrageously skeptical when I first saw the candy. After my initial purchase, though, I quickly realized I had not made a mistake. Like the Candy Corn flavor, these M&M’s also feature a white chocolate inside and are slightly larger than normal M&M’s. These appeared on shelves in the spring of 2013, but there is no word yet on whether they will be returning this Easter.

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Now you may be wondering why I skipped the Christmas season, but that is largely because M&M’s has not had a consistent Christmas product. A couple of years ago they introduced a Peppermint flavor and they have sold Christmas color M&Ms for years. Recently, though, M&M’s has made a dark chocolate mint candy a part of their year round products. This means, a new Christmas flavor may not be released soon, and we can always hope for eggnog!

The final seasonal flavor which is causing a buzz is the new Pumpkin Spice M&M’s. This flavor just hit the shelves this fall and is only available at Target. They are larger than typical M&M’s and come in dark green, brown, and orange. While some fall fanatics are raving about the new flavor, I personally taste a whole lot of spice and a little bit of pumpkin. Of course, what do I know, I’m only a casual candy connoisseur. I’ll let you judge for yourself.

A final note, prepare to get crazy excited about the newest upcoming release from M&M’s: Birthday Cake. This candy will have a milk chocolate inside infused with birthday cake flavor and should be available in May of 2014. No word yet on whether this flavor is a limited edition or a permanent addition to the M&M’s line. Let’s hope they are still around for my birthday in August.

So, next time you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth, try one of these new and some times adventurous M&M flavors! As Forrest Gump always says, “Life is like a bag of M&M’s, you never know what you’re gonna get.”